Swiss International Air Lines' new fully flat business class seats have just been voted "Europe's Leading Airline Business Class", and it's easy to see why the Star Alliance airline won the gong with this uniquely clever staggered layout.

Swiss' business class has direct aisle access for just about everyone, an attractive and chic blond wood and dark checked fabric aesthetic, and fully flat business class beds.

Remember: fully flat business class beds are almost invariably better than lie-flat seats in many airlines' business class cabins.

Swiss is keen to take Europe-bound Star Alliance passengers via Hong Kong and Bangkok to its Zurich hub, and with every intercontinental plane in its fleet upgraded to the new business class, it can guarantee the new seats on every flight.

With fully flat seats (despite the interesting-looking angle above) and above-average inflight service, Swiss is a great choice for the savvy business traveller.

The only people who don't have direct aisle access are a few passengers who pick seats on the left hand side -- which is actually ideal for business class passengers travelling with a plus one.

Take a look at the cabin layout for how the staggered configuration works. On the left hand side of the plane you'll find either one or two seats. So if you're travelling alone, make sure you pick one of the A seats that doesn't have a B seat next to it.

In the middle, seats D and G alternate so the feet of passengers behind tuck under the tables of the row in front. These are great seats to pick if you're not fussed about a window seat and you want direct aisle access.

Let's face it -- who doesn't want direct aisle access so there's no clambering over anyone else in the middle of the night?

But business class passengers travelling solo are best to pick K seats over on the right hand side. These are all solo seats, with nobody next to you. So your window seat is also an aisle seat.

Swiss' long-haul flights are on Airbus A330 or A340 planes, and we're pretty sure that they don't fly this close to mountain peaks on a regular basis.

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About John Walton

Aviation journalist and travel columnist John took his first long-haul flight when he was eight weeks old and hasn't looked back since. Well, except when facing rearwards in business class.

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Have just flown Swiss business on a connecting flight from Hong Kong to Zurich, having flown the first segment from Sydney to Hong Kong on Cathay. Initial impression was that the cabin felt very open after the privacy offered by the Cathay business class. The ambient noise level was noticeably higher and the style of service worlds apart. But before writing a dissertation on the differing standards of food and beveridge service, the main point has to be in relation to the seats. Despite the option for 'softening' the mattress, the seat/bed is incredibly hard and uncomfortable. Leg/foot room is very constricted and so narrow that my shoulders were hard up against the adjacent work tables. This may have been a good business class 10 years ago, but the poor seat design combined with second rate IFE combine to make Swiss a three and a half star offering in my opinion. Although the cabin crew lacked the drilled and mannered precision of the Cathay crew, they were genuinely friendly and accommodating. Zurich is a terrific transit gateway with quick and well timed connections to most European centres.